Faith Journey Books

Interview with Fay Lamb, Author of Because of Me

2012-02-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

Not your typical Christian fiction.

Michael’s fiancée, Issie Putnam, was brutally attacked and Michael was imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Now he’s home to set things right.

Two people stand in his way: Issie’s son, Cole, and a madman.

Can Michael learn to love the child Issie holds so close to her heart and protect him from the man who took everything from Michael so long ago?

Available through all fine book retailers, Amazon.com, and Mountainview Publishing (http://
www.trebleheartbooks.com/MVLamb), a division of Treble Heart Books.
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Fay Lamb is a dear friend of mine with a sincere love for the Lord. I've enjoyed having her as a critique partner for several years now and have always found her stories challenging me to be real about my faith.

This story, Because of Me, does what a good book should--it moves you out of your comfort zone to learn more about the depths of redemption God provides for us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

I am thrilled to have her come by and share with us.

Hi Fay. Let's begin:

Forgiveness is a complex path through a minefield of emotions. Issie needed to overcome much in order to extend forgiveness to those who hurt her. Fay, how did you learn to forgive?

I’m still in the process of learning to forgive. With each new situation that arises, I have to make a conscious effort. One simple truth that I cannot argue against is that Christ is the ultimate example of forgiveness. Nothing that anyone has ever done or will ever do to me can compare with what I did to Christ and what it caused God to bestow His unmerited grace upon me. In Because of Me, Michael’s ultimate example is Christ, but before Michael can accept Christ’s forgiveness, he must receive it from someone he scarred for life. That man’s forgiveness opens the doors of heaven for Michael. If I do not offer forgiveness to those who wrong me, how can they ever see Christ in me?

In today's world, many women have experienced something similar to what Issie had. What would you say to those who have not experienced such a thing, but someone close to them has? How would you tell them to react?

Sometimes the most comforting moments for a hurting person occur when someone just simply sits with them and holds their hand. They don’t force a conversation or offer trite words to fill in the silence. They just come alongside a friend and let them know they are there. Unless you can know exactly what a person has gone through, you should never expect them to believe you understand. Telling them you would like to understand often opens the door for them to tell you how they feel, but if they aren’t ready, companionable silence can mean so much.

On the lighter side, your sense of humor comes through and enhances the story. How much of Issie's humor comes from personal quips?

When I’m writing, I don’t really think about the humor. I have noticed, however, that some of the scenes I consider the most humorous are written when the plot becomes tension filled. It is very hard for me to write a funeral scene without something going awry. Now, I’ll confess that’s real life for me. Some of the most humorous moments in my family occur at funerals. And those moments are some of the most tender memories I hold. As they noted in the movie Steel Magnolias, laughter through the tears is my favorite emotion.

When you do see my funny side, you can bet that I’m either handling a very stressful situation, and humor is my release. Sarcasm is always a great way to unwind. On the other hand, I love to laugh with people I know and love. That’s why I think my husband and I have so much fun. There’s no one I feel more comfortable around, and we laugh at each other all the time.

How does your relationship with God affect your writing?

My writing is every bit about my relationship with God. My desire is to always share those things that God has brought me through. Sometimes we think we live on an island. No one has ever faced the difficulties we face. Not true. And when we’re going through those difficulties, it might be hard to imagine that someone can benefit from our troubles, but God can use you to speak into a life full of struggles. Verbal expression is difficult for me, and I thank God every day that He has designed a way for me to share His message of hope and redemption.

What is your next book, and what are you working on now?

I have two books completed: Willow’s Path, another romantic suspense and Liberty, a contemporary romance. Currently, I have two books in the editing stages. One is a contemporary romance entitled Charisse. The other, Storms in Serenity, is contemporary fiction. It is a modern-day retelling of the sword God held over David’s family after David’s sin with Bathsheba. And true to form, I have two books that I’m working on: Hope, the third book in my contemporary romance series and Resurrection, a romantic suspense set in the world of professional surfing.

Fay, thank you for sharing with us.

Lynn, thank you for hosting me today. I just want to take this moment to say that your writing ministry has been a blessing to me for many years. You are and will always be one of my dearest friends.

The book is available for sale at Amazon.com and at Treble Heart Books, www.trebleheartbooks.com/MVLamb. Autographed copies can also be published through my website: www.faylamb.com

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Fay Lamb works as an acquisition editor for Pelican Book Group, offers services as a freelance editor, and is an author of Christian romance and romantic suspense. Her emotionally charged stories remind the reader that God is always in the details. Because of Me, her debut romantic suspense novel is available at all book retailers and Treble Heart Books/Mountainview Publishing, www.trebleheartbooks.com/MVLamb.

Fay's passion is working with and encouraging fellow writers. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), she co-moderates the large Scribes' Critique Group and manages the smaller Scribes' critique groups. For her efforts, she was the recipient of the ACFW Members Service Award in 2010.

In 2012, Fay was also elected to serve as secretary on ACFW's Operating Board.

Fay and her husband, Marc, reside in Titusville, Florida, where multi-generations of their families have lived. The legacy continues with their two married sons and five grandchildren.

Lasciviousness and Such within Christian Romance Fiction

2012-01-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

Lasciviousness - the act of arousing sexual desire; the indication of sexual interest or expressive lust or lewdness.

Galatians 5:19 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness..."

The Greek word for lasciviousness is aselegia, and it refers to the conduct and character of one who demonstrates unbridled lust, wantonness (sexually lawless or unrestrained). The word refers to filthy words, indecent bodily movements, and unchaste handling of males and females.

Matthew 5:27-28 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Jesus speaks to His disciples in the above passage, exhorting them to reach for a higher standard than what was given to them by the law.

As a reader, I enjoy a tasteful romance. One where true love grows between the hero and heroine, but they remain pure. As a reader, I do not want to be assaulted with images of a character's lascivious desires or acts. I want my imagination to remain pure before God because God is listening to my thoughts. I love my Lord and wish not to offend Him.

As a writer, I have a burden for young women who place themselves into positions where they either receive untoward (aka perverse) attention or accept such attention, not realizing the trouble to which it can lead.

First, I wish their mothers and fathers would have taken the time to teach them how to be prudent when it comes to interactions with boys and men--from what they wear to how they act to where they go. So much trouble could be circumvented if these girls knew how to avoid situations that tempt a male.

Second, I desire, as the Lord directs, to both:

teach these young women that, yes, it is possible to remain pure in thought, desire, and action,
and teach them what can place a person in a compromising situation, both coming from giving into a person's own desires of the flesh and coming from another's.

So what does this have to do with Christian romance? Well, a lot.

Romance can be a beautiful picture of Christ's love for the church, God's love for Israel, and His love for us. Unfortunately, when the characters engage in satisfying their flesh they are not giving a picture of God's love.

A good story will show the fallen state of mankind and the redemption we have through Christ. In fact, story is a powerful tool to reveal God's love, sacrifice, and grace.

A problem arises when the attraction of the romance overpowers the attraction of God's redemption or God's Truth.

One of the great commandments of good fiction writing is to give the reader a powerful emotional experience. One of the gurus of story-telling, Christopher Vogler, writes in his book The Writer's Journey - Third Edition (p. x):

"An effective story grabs your gut, tightens your throat, makes your heart race and your lungs pump, brings tears to your eyes or an explosion of laughter to your lips. If I wasn't getting some kind of physiological reaction from a story, I knew it was only affecting me on an intellectual level and therefore it would probably leave audiences cold."

In his chapter, "The Wisdom of the Body," he states:

Sometimes the best way to measure a story's effect and diagnose its problems is to ask "How did it make me feel--in the organs of my body? Did I feel anything physical at all, or was I just having mental processes that didn't much involve anything but the brain? Did it make my blood run cold? Did it make my toes curl with horror or delight? Did it make my nervous system alert as if the dangers the hero faces were actually threatening me?" (p. 357-358)

He goes into more details, but I think you get the picture.

There are some things that a person desiring to please God in all her life should not feel when reading a story.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2

As a writer, I must take care not to cause my reader to stumble in her thoughts, in her imagination. Have I described the romantic interaction between my hero and my heroine in such a manner that it causes my reader to have a physiological reaction that only her husband should cause?

A man reacts visually to a woman. A woman can as well to a man, but generally her reaction comes through words and emotions. This is why romance novels can be most dangerous...they can become emotional pornography for a woman the same as a Playboy magazine can be for a man.

So this holds a dilemma for the Christian writer. How can you show the hazards of a physical relationship between an unmarried couple?

The Bible effectively reveals to us the trouble sexual sins can cause. We know that David had an affair with Bathsheba, and we know the outcome. We know that Jacob's daughter, Dinah, was taken and defiled by Shechem. We know about the adulterous woman brought before Jesus. In each case, we see the consequences of the sinful acts. I want to point out that these stories are told without the descriptive details found in most romance novels. Not even Song of Solomon goes into the details of many romance novels.

The powerful emotional experience a Christian writer gives a reader should come not from the physical acts of romance but from the powerful message of truth, of redemption, of hope.

Lasciviousness, the arousal of sexual desire, should not be a part of a Christian novel. Where a character, representing fall man, gives into his or her lust, in my opinion (and I think I have well-founded this opinion on Biblical principles) should not be given in details. Rather, it can be alluded to either by closing the door (I think the best choice) or metaphor (which itself can be a dangerous tool).

We can learn a lot through story. When we have the emotional experience of being taken through a valley and into redemption, we can learn so much about God. But there are some valleys our imaginations should not wander into...valleys that can entice us to cater to our fleshly desires rather than God's truth. I do not want a novel to take me into that valley.

"Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

Book Review: More Precious Than Gold

2012-01-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

A young woman suffers tremendous grief and her only hope is to cross New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo mountains to live with family. But her troubles do not end because she has left Texas. More heartache will come while she learns to love again, forgive her enemies, and trust God.

Romance? Yes, and one you can trust. The romance is a pleasure to read, one that doesn't take you down roads you shouldn't go, but demonstrates true love growing between a man and a woman.

A faith journey? Absolutely. Eliza Gentry, though already a knowledgeable and Godly woman, goes through the trying of her faith. By the end of the story, she's a different woman because God took her through the purifying fire.

This story breaks away from the normal plotline and themes found in recent Christian fiction that I have read, and for that I am truly grateful. I related to the heartache Eliza felt as she sought to find a purpose for her life and was inspired by her persevering faith even in trying times, even when hope was deferred.

I recommend this e-book to anyone who seeks a great story with all the elements necessary to push you forward on your own spiritual journey. The only complaint I have is that the book isn't in print...yet.

You can order your Kindle version at: www.amazon.com

The Beginnings of a New Book Review Site with a Bit of a Twist

2012-01-18T08:25:00.001-08:00

The other night a friend picked up a book done by a well-known CBA publisher and shared with me her grave disappointment with it. The romance, she felt, was far too sensual a read. As a reader seeking to honor God, even with her thoughts and imagination, she could not finish reading it and had determined to toss it in the recycling bin.

Last summer a friend emailed me horrified by a book she read published by another well-known CBA publisher. What was the issue? The book considered a certain lifestyle acceptable that God calls sin.

During the Christmas holidays, my family sat down to watch a children's Christmas special based on a movie I had not seen. The special was about a town who had made dragons their friends and were celebrating a holiday. The dragons had left to have their young. When they returned, the village decided to celebrate the birth (if you will) of the young. I stopped the show and asked my family, "Can you not see what is wrong with this?" If you can't see what is wrong with this either, let me lay it out for you.

First, the dragon in Revelations is Satan. Revelations 12:9 says:

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world:

...Note, that the dragon, aka Satan, deceives the whole world.

Now back to that show. The village is about to celebrate a special time of year. Christmas was originally a pagan celebration. The dragons have their young and the village rejoices. Christ was born and the world can rejoice. Men then determined to turn that pagan celebration into a time of year to celebrate Christ's birth. Do you not see the parallel between these two stories?

Dragons have become a popular part of children's literature. Dragons used to be something bad, but now they are good. hmmm. That whole deception, first brought to man by the serpent when he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:4 says:

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Translate this into the current situation:

And the serpent says to our children, dragons are not evil. They are only mythological creatures that do not exist. When you watch these shows or read these books, you will see that these creatures can be good as well. You'll become more compassionate toward those who have been called evil by those self-righteous religious bigots. You will become better than those religious fanatics because you will be more accepting of others and their personal preferences, beliefs, and lifestyles.

Do you see my point? Storytelling throughout the ages has been used to teach. What is our modern mythology (games, movies, books, etc.) teaching us today? That the dragon is good? That man has the ability to tame the dragon? It's just a story, I hear you mumble under your breath. I suppose you could take it that way, but stories, especially for children, teach. The question is whether that story is teaching truth or lies.

Last year I mourned to the core of my being the loss of truth, of purity, of Godliness in a great portion of Christian fiction. Two out of nine books I read last year from January to June were books I could recommend to another to read. The rest either contained no substance, presented truths contrary to Scripture, or were overtly sensual.

I am also aware that when you tell an author that what she wrote is not God-honoring or is wrong or is worldly, she gets very upset. You criticized her baby, and in so doing, you've criticized her and her own belief system. Rarely will an author listen under those circumstances. After all, which one of us would accept such criticism after pouring ourselves into something we've come to believe is great?

I hate strife. I hate arguments. I hate debates. But I do love truth, and my heart breaks over the direction Christian fiction (and some nonfiction) seems to be heading. How, Lord, can I help?

Early last year my dear critique group and I discussed a possibility to bring good fiction to readers. To make a long story short, this blog is a result of that lengthy discussion.

What will the blog do?

Honor books in which the main character's spiritual journey is prominent and is consistent with God's Word.
Honor books that hold a high standard of care in terms of where they take the reader's imagination (I'll have a post another day that will address this).
Honor books that demonstrate quality craft.
Bring to readers a selection of books that should challenge their faith and hold to a high moral code.
Teach writers to improve their craft, not solely for entertainment, not solely for publication, but for God's glory--making God their primary audience.

Like all blogs, there will be changes along the way while it grows and stretches into all that it can be. I'm not perfect. I will make mistakes. But above all else, for as long as I am the owner of this blog, I will seek to do my very best to bring God honor and glory through it.

No, not everyone will agree with me. After all, reviews are subjective. However, I want to love both my readers and those authors whose books I will represent on this blog. That is why you will only see positive reviews. If a book doesn't meet my criteria, I will not be writing a review. Why?

First, because I do not want to publicly shame someone (though, no doubt, that will happen--offenses will come).
Second, because I do not want to entice a reader to pick up a book because of the bad review I gave it. It happens. I know myself that I look at the one star reviews on Amazon.com to find out why someone doesn't like it, and at times that has led me to purchase the book.

This blog has been long in coming. My prayer is that it will help readers, like myself, who want to read quality books that help them draw closer to God and not subject my imagination to stories that will take it places it should not go. If you like what you see, then I hope you will join me.